Head of marketing at Tom & Luke, Rachel Morrison, began her journey in the food industry while at university, involving herself in sales and promotions for varying brands and products.
“I liked the fast-paced environment, the interactive and engaging people and the dynamic brands and products. Since leaving uni, I started working in FMCG immediately and have had amazing experiences,” said Morrison.
Her experience throughout her schooling propelled her passion for entering work in the FMCG industry, landing her first role at Lion. This role quickly evolved into Morrison joining the marketing team in Auckland.
However, the call for overseas adventure brought Morrison to London, where she gained experience working with renowned brands PepsiCo and Coca-Cola before she returned home.
“After having my kids, I moved into consultancy/contracting work where I worked across many different industries and companies, which was fascinating.”
Morrison makes a special mention of Essano, where she collaborated closely with co-founders to shape and launch the brand, which she notes is a rare and valuable opportunity for a marketer in New Zealand. Essano is now one of New Zealand’s most prominent and leading skincare brands.
While Morrison stated leaving Essano was a painful experience due to her close relationship with the brand's growth and success, Tom & Luke have welcomed her with another unique opportunity to help grow a brand centred on health and nutrition.
“I now work with the amazing team at Tom & Luke, building a brand driven by the nutritional benefit of eating food made from real ingredients. We’re all about offering the world better snack solutions – a pretty cool ambition.”
Morrison said that the biggest lesson she received during her career was realising that not everything comes from a textbook. Morrison attributes her most significant learning experiences from working alongside various individuals with work styles whom she admired, and the mixtures of companies she had the chance to work with.
“I admire those who can achieve clarity in among the clutter, ask great questions and are prepared to work together to help deliver results. I’m always striving to do the same, often a conflict with my natural desire to use many words! It’s a work in progress.”
When looking back, Morrison would advise her younger self to feel more confident in herself, something which she has worked on to feel now as she has grown to understand the value of the hard work she delivers.
However, Morrison enjoys that she continues to learn and is excited by the upcoming launches that Tom & Luke are about to undertake in other markets.
“I love that I’m still learning. We’re about to launch into exciting new markets, and managing that from here is challenging but enjoyable. Innovation continues to be a vital component of what I’m focusing on. I like new challenges and solving problems in our industry.
